Tascam axes GigaStudio

Legendary soft sampler discontinued

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Is version 4 the last we'll see of GigaStudio?

Tascam has ceased development of its GigaStudio sampler and all products that are related to it. These include the GigaPulse convolution reverb, the GigaViolin and the Giga Virtual Instrument. Sales and support for the products will end on December 31 2008.

Given that GigaStudio has frequently been acclaimed as one of the finest software samplers on the market, this news comes as something of a shock.

Originally released in 2000, it was the successor to GigaSampler, the pioneering application that helped to popularise soft sampling in the mid-to-late '90s. It was developed by NemeSys, a company that Tascam acquired in 2001.

The decision to discontinue GigaStudio will also have ramifications for third-party developers who've licensed Tascam's technology to power their own software.

Whether another company will take up the reins and continue to develop GigaStudio remains to be seen. If not, we'll be saying goodbye to a much-loved application that's still in use in professional studios around the world.